Carmelita controlled herself with an effort and dried her eyes. Not for nothing had her life been what it had.
"You must all go at once," she said unhesitatingly. "Take Signor Rupert's money and make for Mendoza's in the Ghetto. He'll sell you mufti and food. Change, and then run, all night, along the railway. Lie up all day, and then run all night again. Then take different trains at different wayside stations, one by one, and avoid each other like poison in Oran; and leave by different boats on different days. I shall stay here. After trying for some hours to revive Legros, I shall send for the picket. You will be far from Sidi then. I shall give the Police all information as to the fight, and as to the murder of that, by Malvin; and shall conceal nothing of Legros' murderous attempt upon the Légionnaire Bouckaing Bronceau and of his death by apoplessia.... They will see he has no wound.... This will give weight and truth to my evidence to the effect that it was a fair, clean fight and that no blame attaches to le Légionnaire Bouckaing Bronceau.... Where am I to blame? ... No, you can leave me without fear. Also will I give evidence to having heard you plotting to make the promenade in different directions and to avoid the railway and Oran...."
The Bucking Bronco was overcome with admiration.
"Ain't that horse-sense?" he ejaculated.
Laying her hands upon his shoulders, Carmelita looked him in the eyes.
"And when you write to me to join you also, dear Americano, I will come," she said. "I, Carmelita, have said it.... Now that that is dead, I shall be able to save some money. Write to me when you are safe, and I will join you wherever you are--whether it be Napoli or Inghilterra or America."
"God bless ye, little gal," growled the American, folding her in his arms, and for the first time of his life being on the verge of an exhibition of weakness. "We'll make our gitaway all right, an' we couldn't be no use ter yew in prison hyar.... I'll earn or steal some money ter send yer, Carmelita, honey."
"I can help you there," put in Legionary Rupert.
"You and your loose cash are the deus ex machina, Rupert, my boy," said John Bull.... "But for you, the Russians would hardly have got away so easily, and now a few pounds will make all the difference between life and death to Buck and Carmelita, not to mention yourself and 'Erb."
"I am very fortunate," said Rupert, gracefully. "By the way, how much have we left Carmelita?" he added.